Toccato Dalla Morte
by LittleSkyCompass
Summary: Humans turned to creature, living turned to survival. Many things changed when the virus took hold of the population and grasped for all it could. Sawada Tsunayoshi changed. But he was going to make sure he, and all of his family, survived. Possibly R27.
1. Chapter 1

_**Touched by Death [Part One] ... Also know as that apocalyptic zombie AU no one asked for! You're welcome~! I posted these on amino and will slowly start adding my works here. You may see the next chapter in a week!**_

* * *

 _ **Prima Parte: Sopravvissuti**_

 _"_ _The worst times come to an_ end, _if you can only wait long enough."_

 _-Unknown_

* * *

The man-made terrain was desolate in the absence of life; buildings and cars falling apart and rusted while left to bake in the burning scorch of the sun's rays. A low moan echoed in distance, a slugging creature trailing its feet behind itself as it worked its way down a street.

Static crackled in the air, a pale hand swinging towards the noise to silence it as chapped lips pressed to a radio receiver. "This is Little Animal. Confirming target insights. One hostile detected."

Another crackle and a broken voice responds through the receiver. "Silver Bomber here. Message received. Hostile noted. Safe to carry out Mission?" The air shifted with a breeze, carrying with it the scent of gasoline and decay.

Tsunayoshi wrinkled his nose, thinking as he made sure his brass knuckles were in place and knives were strapped to his side. "Safe. Will call in when the target is secure. Little Animal Out." He waited for his affirmative before taking out the batteries, in order to prevent himself from being heard should his radio go off.

He sprinted and dodged behind cars with light feet- chosen for such tasks as one of the smallest of their rag-tag group of survivors that consisted of war-torn teens. He was the quietest of the bunch. The lightest. Which also meant he was the less risky option for a supply retrieval.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, however, was also the leader of them, make no mistake in thinking otherwise.

Once he may have been a gangly fourteen-year-old boy with no ambition in his life but to sleep; now, however, the outbreak of the virus that turned people into mindless killing machines with a penchant for cannibalism changed everything.

Especially Tsuna.

He scaled a pipeline, hanging from the gutter of a building precariously before swinging his legs into the building, wincing at the crunch of glass under his boots. He tensed, adjusting his eyes to the darkness and wrapped his scarf around his nose to protect him from the unsettled dust that threatened to seep into his lungs with every breath.

A moan sounded quietly in the room, and he quickly stepped off the glass, raising his fists in front of him for his own protection. He paused when his intuition refused to buzz in danger, and the moan moved no closer but remained where it was at. He hesitantly trailed to the source.

A gasp parted his bloody lips, a choked sob escaping as he found a toddler crushed under a filing cabinet, attempting to snap gummy jaws at him. "I-" he breathed barely over a whisper. "I am so sorry, little one." His fist lifted in the air, a shimmering orange slamming down and silencing the creature forever. "Mercy is all you deserve."

Tears trailed mournfully down his sunken cheeks as he takes out a notebook and tallies it with another count. They all had a kill count. A hopeless dream of Gokudera's that if they collectively put down as many of the estimated population of Japan which was ninety-nine percent infected, they'd have a virus-free cluster of islands. So far, three years in- they've disposed of over three-thousand of the infected population.

It was slow progress, but their main priority was their own safety. Flame Users, Gokudera had explained in the early days of the breakout, seemed to be immune to catching the virus but were still healthy meals the creatures sought out. Bitings from them would make flame users incredibly sick but so far, it'd never turn them.

They had a few close calls with their youngest member, Lambo and their unofficial medic Ryohei.

It was through sheer luck and a midnight raid of an old pharmacy they were able to save the smaller Italians life. Ryohei thankfully had an affinity for healing himself up. Gokudera said it was because he was a Sun that his ability to heal and knack for caring for others was so prominent.

A whistle of wind disrupted the curtains, a whirl of dust coating Tsunayoshi's lashes as the stench of burning bodies nearly made him gag. The creatures were baking out there; their flesh oozing puss, skin blackening but still somehow remaining upright.

He heard a shuffle of feet to his left, lowering his own body to a crouch, prowling on the ground like a stalking lion before he jumps out, smashing his closed fist into the brain of one of the infected with a sickening crunch. He caught it around the lapels of dirty clothes, setting it quietly on the floor before ticking off another kill in his book.

He continued onward, making his way through lingering hostilities like a predator hunting prey before he finally snagged the things he was after. Medicine, boxes yellowed with age and bottles with faded writing were quickly shoved into his bag. This was followed by spare batteries, beaten cans of food, and spare clothes. All he could fit into his old school bag was fit in, with the mental note that there was more here than anticipated and would have to be swept through again.

He made his way to the roof in a silent prowl, flinching at the light he was suddenly bombarded with once he stepped foot on the relatively empty concrete. Barricading the door behind him - safety first, always first - he fishes out his radio and puts the batteries back it. The familiar sound of static relieved him as his lowered his scarf and spoke into the mouthpiece.

"Little Animal reporting in. Goal accomplished. Another sweep through necessary."

He waited for the familiar lilt of Hayato's relieved murmurs, holding his breath when no message comes through. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Tsunayoshi, a deep voice chuckles over his receiver. "Little Animal for the Little Sky, huh? Hayato is a bit preoccupied with a certain cow brat. Report back to home base."

The radio clicked off, blood rushing to Tsunayoshi's head in panic. He didn't know that voice- he didn't know that man! Even without his intuition alerting him of danger, Tsuna narrowed his eyes with a scowl, jumping onto the fire-escape to hurry back to his family.

His family that seemed to be dangerously close to an unknown. Possibly more.

Tsuna wouldn't stand for it without himself being there to make sure his group was alright with his own two eyes. Damn, he was already beginning to hate that smug idiot that responded to him. Considering how hard it was to make Tsuna hate someone, the man should feel doubly accomplished in lieu of such a feat.

Tsunayoshi tucked and rolled behind a dumpster, waiting out two of the infected as he chewed worriedly on his bottom lip. When he finally made it back to their 'home base', which happened to be Namimori Middle - easily defendable and the basement doubled as a bunker, with running water that may have been cold but was heavenly nonetheless and solar powered generators courtesy of Hayato - he wiggled his way through the second story window entrance.

He sighed, feeling his shoulders relaxed slightly. It wasn't much, but this was his home. Their home.

He dragged his feet tiredly to their most used location - the infirmary - and pauses at the noise coming from it. Voices he never heard played through his ears, and he easily picks out the smug bastard he conversed slightly with about an hour previous. He thanked the stars when he can make out his families voices among those, from Ryohei's rough enthusiasm to Mukuro's monotoned apathy, and strode through the door with a determined gait.

"Hayato!" His voice cracked dryly and he held himself back from coughing just barely as the noise died down and all attention was on him. The silver-haired teenager rushed over with a bottle of water but he ignored it in favor of checking the male over. "You're okay."

His friend smiled gently, a hint of warmth decorating pale cheeks. "Yeah, I am. Have something to drink and we'll introduce you to the new people." Tsunayoshi gingerly took the bottle, soothing his dry throat as he shrugs his bag to the floor. He caught a glimpse of curious coal-black eyes, a man with ridiculous sideburns and a taunting smirk.

He narrowed his eyes, an orange and feral predatory gaze coming out as he snarled protectively and stalked up to him. He was shorter and that man seemed impressive, but a determined and accusatory "You!" still spilled out his mouth unbidden even to himself.

The man's ebony eyes stared back, amused now because such an expression on the teen's face was so uncharacteristic, so malign that he only gave off the effect of being menacingly adorable.

"I get it now," he drawled, his voice a deep smooth rumble that demanded to be heard. "Small Animal because you're a small bunny."

Tsunayoshi denied his flush and would until the day he died, damn it! "You gave me a heart attack! Don't answer the radio for Hayato… Stay away from our radio's in general!" He huffed for air in the next few seconds, having not have raised his voice in a good few weeks and it was hell on his throat for it.

Tall and dark chuckled, making no promise to do as he was told.

Tsuna instead turned to examine the rest of the people gathered. All of his crew but Kyoya was there; the Skylark patrolled carefully around this time so that in itself wasn't too surprising. Lambo was falling asleep in one of the beds, no longer interested in the conversation. And Hayato, Ryohei, and Takeshi were all eyeing him. Mukuro and Chrome were there, Tsuna could feel them, but they were hiding under illusions likely because they could and for no other reason but that.

Amongst the old, were the new. There was a Kyoya look-alike that made him stare unabashedly for a good minute before he moved on to a man with blonde hair, dressed in cargo pants with his arm slung around a female who was dressed similarly. A purple haired young adult - teen? Tsuna couldn't tell - was curled up in one of the other beds, dozing without a care. There was also a… scientist?

Tsuna's intuition buzzed, informing him he was correct.

So yes, a scientist with green hair and a dirt-stained lab coat that was cleaning his glasses. A cloaked figure blended easily into the background but backed away when Tsuna's inquisitive gaze landed on them. Of course, Tsuna turned, you couldn't forget Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome who stood out from the rest by the sheer arrogance he produced from his person.

His intuition idly informed him that while these people were no threat, they were dangerous. More dangerous than one may expect.

"Reborn." The smooth voice sounded again. "My name is Reborn."

Tsunayoshi blinked as his words seemed to set off a chain reaction amongst the unknowns. "Colonello, Kora." One answered followed by, "Fon, it's a pleasure to meet you." Until Tall-And- wait, no, Tsuna meant 'Reborn' said, "And that idiota sleeping over there is Skull."

He wanted to scowl at the man, still getting over the panic that gripped at him when the man had answered in lieu of Hayato, but instead sighs deeply, kneading his fingertips into his forehead to soothe his headache. "Sawada Tsunayoshi." He responded gently, albeit curtly.

A hand curled around his shoulder, the familiar thrum of Sun flames but different dissipating the pain. Tsuna looked toward Ryohei who remained seated, and then back to Reborn who had touched him casually with a slow blink.

"... Thank you," he said hesitantly.

Reborn smirked. "We all know who you are, little Sky. You're why we're here."

"Excuse me?"

Reborn didn't respond, instead, he trailed a finger over Tsuna's lips, the skin once blistered by heat and bloody from worried teeth once again smooth as ebony eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Much better."

Tsunayoshi recoiled back, a blush overcoming the stubborn pale of his skin. "Stop acting so familiar with me!"

Slender fingers wrapped around his cheeks, a dark gaze eying his face intently leaving Tsuna feeling completely bare. "You've been crying. Why?" A couple of hackles were raised over that announcement, mainly from Tsuna's family. "Surely not because of me?"

The teen took one look at Reborn's unimpressed visage and frowned, pulling away harshly. "No... I just ran into a toddler. A very turned toddler."

Tension filled the air like smoke, seeping into the room as multiple people grimaced, understanding the implications immediately after the words were spoken.

It was never easy to take the life of a child, turned or not.

Ryohei sniffled.

"Tsuna," Takeshi's voice, hesitant and not as cheerful as usual. "I'm so sorry."

He cleared his throat. "Don't be - the child is at peace now." He turned to the new people, raising his head proudly - because this was his home, his pride - and speaks concisely towards the man who reminded him of a trained killer. "Explain what you're doing here."

* * *

 _ **Forgive me if this is bad. I wrote this on my phone at two in the morning. Anyways, I go by FanaticalFan on the KHR Amino. It's a great community! And everything I post there, I write on my phone.**_

 _ **Hope you all maybe liked this? I accept constructive criticism and appreciate feedback.**_

 _ **\- LittleSkyCompass**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sorry, this is late! Super busy still! Warning that it is unedited!**_

* * *

 _ **Seconda Parte: Guaio**_

 _ **"The trouble is, you think you have time."**_  
 _ **\- Buddha**_

* * *

 _He cleared his throat. "Don't be - the child is at peace now." He turned to the new people, raising his head proudly - because this was his home, his pride - and speaks concisely towards the man who reminded him of a trained killer. "Explain what you're doing here."_

The man - Reborn, he had reminded himself again - had smirked. A rather dark and intimidating look on his face as he brought a long finger to trail along the edge of his chin in a very deliberate motion. "What we're doing here, you say?"

The ebony eyes that stared into honey brown that held an underline of determined orange threatened to falter Tsunayoshi's stance. The teenager held resilient to the pressure he found himself under, chin remaining high and eyes level. "That is exactly what I asked. Do not make me repeat myself again."

The foreign man chuckled. "You're rather feisty for such a little animal, Tsuna."

"Please don't act so familiar with me-"

A hand slammed into the wall beside him, Reborn's taller stature maneuvering his body to be pressed against it, trapped and vulnerable under the hitman's intimidating shadow. The Sky growled, something low and predatory showing just how little he enjoyed his new position.

Sadly, it only appeared to amuse the man further. "Now now, little Sky. Don't be like that when I'm so kindly telling you exactly why we're here." Something gleamed in dark eyes, and Tsunayoshi paused, taken by surprise for a moment at how sincerely raw the emotion was. "We're here for you."

"Wh-" He was cut off by the crackle of static, the receiver translating over the sound of muffled groans and shuffling steps. "Kyouya!" He broke out of the hold, rushing to the radio Hayato was already at.

The Chinese man who was previously silent had stiffened, shuffling closer to the group who were attempting to get in contact with the wandering Cloud who never bothered to call in during his patrolling. "Kyouya? Hibari Kyouya?" He asked the group, eyes wide and the slightest bit hopeful.

Tsunayoshi glanced at him, the familial relation all the more evident at the fact that the man, Fon, knew the Skylark's name. "Yes, Hibari Kyouya. He's been on patrol for a little over three hours now. He would be back an hour from now typically, but we're concerned because he never calls in- let alone puts the batteries in his communicator.

Fon had relaxed at the confirmation, before tensing the moment he registered their genuine concern. "Any luck in contact?" He moved closer, ignoring Reborn as he came over to investigate the equipment himself.

"O...nivore-" The voice sounded over the radio, cut off and choppy. "Moving. Herd."

"Oh." Tsuna paused, face paling. "Oh fuck."

The atmosphere which had already been questionable grew heavy and cold in the face of a serious threat. Playful conversations stopped, the purple haired Cloud woke up, and Lambo began to cry all in light of the new revelation. It was hard to swallow the fact that there could be a herd of those creatures out there surrounding their patrol-loving Skylark.

Especially since… "It's not winter," Chrome has sounded, appearing with Mukuro in the middle of the room. Nobody blinked, a testament either to their skills or their BS-meter, Tsunayoshi might never know. Chromes sweet voice was laced with confusion, the unknown causing lingering panic to rest on her face.

"Why should winter matter?" The green-haired scientist asked as Tsuna picked Lambo up to cradle eight-year-old as carefully as he could to his chest.

"Because," The Sky murmured, running long yet calloused fingers through the wild curls of the Bovino child. "Winter is typically when we see herds. In the Summer most tend to migrate further inland for some reason." There is a tsk beside him, coming from Hayato as the Storm moves the supply bag from the ground and begins to grab their gear. "This is peculiar behavior."

"Indeed-" Fon cut in with a blank face and a carefully controlled tone. "So if these herds are anything like the ones in Italy, this is a dangerous situation for my nephew to be in. Talented fighter or not."

Especially, Reborn wanted to add, because Italia's weren't as bad as what they anticipated for Japan. With most of the active flame users in Italy and their incapability of being turned, they still had a fully functioning society of fighters to go against them. This little Sky and his ragtag group were alone, and the only living things beyond a couple of animals they encountered.

The hitman watched as the same thoughts clicked for the rest of the Arcobaleno, impressed grimaces on their faces as they watched the teens quickly prepare. Even the one Reborn has dubbed a 'cow' in his mind had an impressive arsenal.

"Oh," Reborn practically purred as Tsunayoshi hid a gun in his shirt. "Preparing for war, little Sky? We'll join. Fon's nephew is at stake after all."

Honey amber eyes glared into his, a weary gaze the Hitman only used to see on longtime veterans all the more apparent. The Sky disregarded his taunting, a pang of hurt briefly causing the Sun to grit his teeth, and turned to his Rain. "Takeshi, don't worry. We won't lose anyone else to this."

His words were absolute, voice clear and concise as he resolutely told the other teen it'd be okay. A few of the Arcobaleno paused in their own preparations, picking the underlying hurt and meaning in the words.

 _A herd has taken one of theirs before._

Tsunayoshi does not give into to their inquiring questions and persistence, instead, he guided the Rain out of the room when he was prepared to compose himself, leaving the Bovino child in the care of Ryohei and Chrome.

The hallway was dusted by thorough use and dirty boots, but far cleaner than just about anywhere else you could find in Namimori by now. The dust had unsettled as the Sky shuffled his friend into a light hug, resting his chin on his shoulder as he spoke softly to the other. "We won't let what happened to your father happen to Kyouya. We are better fighters now. And we are more prepared."

A long moment of silence passed, and Tsuna was thankful for the Mist keeping their conversation private. Takeshi had hesitantly returned his hug in that time, but the worry never did settle in the fluffy-haired teen as he thought back to the aftermath of Yamamoto-san's death where Takeshi had hauled himself up to the roof and nearly-

His breath hitched, holding him tighter. He wasn't losing him. He wasn't losing any of them.

A soothing hand tugged at his hair before the taller male pulled out of the warm embrace. "You're right, Tsuna," he remarked softly. "We'll all be alright." The Sky was aware the words were spoken more for his sake than anyone else's, but a swell of gratitude still placed a gentle smile upon his face as the infirmary door slid open and the foreign Sun stepped out.

Reborn paused at the look, something flashing across his face before it's replaced by a smug tilt of his lips and shadowed eyes. For the first time, Tsunayoshi notices a chameleon settled along the brim of the fedora that rested upon the man's head and he cannot help but stare inquisitively towards it.

"Stop staring at Leon," Reborn's smooth voice cut in, but the chameleon - Leon - and the human - Tsuna - did not break gazes. The hitman rolled his eyes at the utter disregard for his words. "We're all ready to head out, and that Storm of yours has Fon's nephew's general location."

Tsuna perked up in determination. "Of course. Takeshi and I are already ready; let's begin reconnaissance before proposing the rescue."

"Scouting the threat before any reckless action?" Reborn asked, refusing to let on to how impressed he was becoming in regards to the little Sky's leading abilities. After all, he hadn't expected much from a child related to that dreadfully stupid idiota, Iemitsu. Not that Tsunayoshi was a child anymore. He was well on his way to becoming an adult.

"What of it?" A challenging brow raised but the look held no real heat, and the hitman just moments earlier had witnessed one of the sweetest smiles on his face. As of now, Tsuna couldn't intimidate Reborn if he tried; and he had tried.

"Nothing." A languid shrug was the only response to the challenge presented before him. "I just think we have the potential to get along."

"Highly. Doubtful." Tsunayoshi snorted, pushing Takeshi back into the room.

Reborn smirked in amusement.

Now that was a challenge he wouldn't mind accepting. The little Sky wanted to run? Reborn would gladly give him chase. It was more fun that way too.

While Reborn wasn't entirely sure as to what drew him into a completely bound Sky, he knew two things for certain. He wanted Tsuna - whether as a friend, a student or more; he knew he wanted him somehow - and secondly, Reborn always got what he wanted.

And he'd wanted the Little Animal the moment he rested his eyes on that furiously adorable face.

* * *

 _ **Enjoy my not subtle shipping. You're welcome. Tell me how this is so far?**_

 _ **\- LittleSkyCompass**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Terza Parte: Malattia**_

* * *

 _"Let's face it, life is a contestant challenge. It's full of unexpected detours that no one but you can navigate."  
\- Sheryl Crow_

* * *

Hibari Kyouya paced himself, crisscrossing around the rubble as he pummeled and dodged rabid limbs with practiced ease. The sinking feeling in his gut, that began to eat away at him the moment he dropped his radio before he could warn the omnivore and others to stay away from the herd, continued to eat at him slowly as their numbers increased and his energy depleted.

With a harsh crunch, he smashed through another skull and breathes heavily, stepping back inches away from a bite that could have severed an artery. He tensed, drawing back his tonfa's and growls as he swings himself back into the mess. "Hn. For crowding, I'll bite you to death!"

A couple of bodies hit the floor in rapid succession, the Skylark glaring as a few got back up and tried to snip at him with broken teeth and protruding jaws. By a hairs breath, Kyouya escapes their clutches, leaning against a brick wall to rest momentarily before he jumps back into the fray in a continuous cycle.

Kill. Escape. Rest. Repeat.

However, their numbers only kept increasing, the Cloud quickly tiring. Just as Hibari felt like things were going to turn sour, a loud explosion nearly knocked him off his feet and several people - alive, some strangers - surrounded him.

He caught a glimpse of a red, a black-tailed braid and a nearly identical face to his own and instinctively attempted to shove a Tonfa through the socket of the person's eye. "Carnivore."

Fon dodged him with a relieved grin, kicking one of the undead away without a pause. "Kyouya. I'm so glad you're alright!"

The Skylark lunged once more for the older Chinese man, ignoring the chaos around him as he tried to land a few hits on his insufferably clean and bemused uncle who causal kept the man-eating virals at bay even in the midst of dodging him. Hibari Kyouya scowled, the feeling of being toyed with agitating him greatly.

A purple haired man dressed in a biker suit dashed past his face - easily tangible Cloud flames on him that made both Hibari territorial and curious - and fired a gun. Many were stunned to see the bullet hilariously miss any of the many bodies it could have hit, and instead lodge itself into a tree branch as thick as his arm.

The other Cloud smiled sheepishly, backing away from rotted hands that aimed to grab him as many people cast a disapproving gaze to his figure- everyone but Tsunayoshi looked slightly exasperated, the Sky's attention still on the branch, causing others to momentarily turn to it as well.

 _Crack!_ _  
_  
The wood lunged itself towards the ground through the force of gravity, crushing three of the undead's heads under its weight before it rolled down the inclined hill the fight was occurring on, tripping anything stupid enough - the infected - that was in its way. There was a pause of sheer disbelief before everyone used the advantage to take out more of their opponents with ruthless efficiency.

For a moment all was going well, the newcomers far more skilled than the teens in battle and contributing to the fight thus winning it when an infected took a plunge off the roof, right over the Bovino kids head and only Tsuna notices, and only he skips forwards to push the kid out of the way, taking the brunt of the hit himself.

While downed - everyone rushed towards him - not one, but two of the desperately hungry pests sunk their teeth into his flesh, bone grinding under the pressure. The Sky bit down on his lip to contain a pained yell, attempting to kick off the one attached to his leg and punch the one that decided to make a snack of his arm. With heavy breathing and a burst of Sky flames, everyone was stunned to see ice overcome the assailants, freezing them into place before promptly shattering, leaving a shaking and sick Sky curled up on the ground, blood seeping into his clothes.

The two Sun's were the first to arrive, easily hauling up Tsunayoshi as others inquired about his health. Both Reborn and Ryohei knew the infected couldn't turn flame users- but it would still make them incredibly sick. For two to have bitten him… "We need to go," Reborn growled, shooting one of the infected out of frustration when it stumbles to close to the protective circle that seemed to have formed.

Ryohei cradled the brunette carefully, hands shaking minutely, and Reborn knew that for now, he would not be able to separate him from his Sky. In fact, all of Tsunayoshi's guardians appeared vaguely feral at the moment, including the shaking Lightning that had attached himself to the female Mist's hip.

"That would be the best course of action," Verde agreed instantly as Skull tripped, kicking one of the kids' grenades - Reborn was positive the Bovino kid had a hammerspace, his arsenal was, quite frankly, as ridiculous as his own - into the undead crowd. There is a collective pause before they all scramble to get away the moment they see the clip unlatch and soon enough, flesh and bone rains from the sky in gory droves.

Skull accidentally killed them all.

A low pained moan echoed through the street and Reborn peeked out from his shelter around a corner to shoot the pitiful thing. Nevermind, his mind corrected, Skull nearly accidentally killed all of them. His luck, as always, was simply absurd.

Viper sighed and glared at the Cloud, flicking intestines and eyeballs off of their quickly conjured up umbrella. "Mou, are you serious Skull? I should charge you for that." The accused flame user paled, hiding behind a trash can.

"Shut up!" The little Lightning shouted from his place, sandwiched in between two worried Mist users. "Stop talking when we have to help Tsuna-Nii… we have to get Tsuna-Nii back so we can heal him!" The atmosphere, which was already serious, turned somber as they took in the painting gasps and feverish skin of the fluffy haired brunette.

Reborn stalked over to assess his condition and both Sun's came to the quick conclusion that he required immediate attention. "We need to hurry and get him back to the school before more of them wander over here due to the noise." The Sun Arcobaleno concluded. "When there, having two Sun's to treat him will help immensely and the little bunny should make a full recovery in time."

Colonello caught Takeshi as the Rain nearly collapsed in relief and all the other elements felt slightly lighter with the new reassurance. Sawada Tsunayoshi would be okay. Sawada Tsunayoshi would live. However, only if…

"Stop staying still and get a move on!" Reborn snapped. "I said hurry, and I meant it!"

The next few minutes consisted of a mad dash back to their safe haven in the school, the Arcobaleno following the other flame users due to their knowledge of both the terrain and potential traps, taking out any of the infected that were unfortunate enough to have stumbled across their path.

As soon as they got there, Ryohei urged them all away from the infirmary - Reborn using far more force than necessary because it didn't damn well matter if the guardians were worried, they were in the way - before the two Sun's set to work on Tsunayoshi's wounds and the sickness that was spreading within him.

Though the man in the fedora with the odd shape-shifting chameleon perched on it was harsh, Sasagawa Ryohei learnt a lot in just a few minutes of treating Tsuna when the man decided he had enough of the 'mediocre' flame techniques and took over instead, allowing the less experienced Sun to observe the entire process. Infections were properly cleansed, ruined clothes disposed of, flesh stitched back together without ever being marred by needle and thread with only the faintest of scars to show for it… Yes, Sasagawa Ryohei felt as if he had learned a lot merely by watching the man encourage Tsuna's body to speed up its own healing process, and he couldn't help but be thankful for the man.

Surely, if he were by himself, Ryohei would have been useless once more and Tsuna - his precious little brother - would have turned out like Takeshi's father and would have died all the same.

"Thank you…" The albino choked out as the man with the curled sideburns washed his hands clean of blood. Tsuna was breathing easier but sickness still gripped at him harshly. There wasn't much they could do but let his own flames fight that particular infection, but Reborn had increased his odds of survival significantly. Ryohei adjusted the covers over his shivering form, running a soothing hand through the Sky's sweaty hair.

"Oh?" Dark eyes pierced the albino's own, and long fingers suddenly draped a warm cloth over Ryohei's shoulder causing the younger Sun to shiver at the sensation of water soaking through the fabric of his shirt. "You can thank me by cleaning him off with that. I'll have to stay here until he wakes up to make sure he doesn't relapse. Tell the others and make sure they stay away while he's healing."

A smirk overtook the raven-haired mans features as the smell of gunpowder and coffee drifted further away and the hitman went to one corner of the room to fiddle with the medical supplies. "When you're done with that, you will leave."

Ryohei could only nod dejectedly as he removed all the dirt and blood from Tsuna, making sure not put pressure on the recently closed wounds. The hitman silently made his way back over, blocking Tsuna momentarily from the albino's sight until he drew himself back again.

Now, around Tsuna's shoulder and neck was a cast that kept him from moving his arm. The hired assassins long trench coat brushed against the side of the bed as Reborn lifted the covers, doing the same to Tsuna's leg so his bone would heal properly.

"By the way…" The man mumbled as he sat down in a chair by the brunette's head, fedora tilted over predatory eyes as Ryohei went to leave. "Your technique is absolutely awful." Ryohei winced. "However, it's not unsalvageable. There's a book propped against the door. Read it and never make such amateur mistakes again."

Ryohei looked to the door, surprised to indeed see a book that wasn't there before. Picking it up, he could clearly tell it was far more detailed than Gokudera had even been able to tell him about the attributes and abilities of his flames which the Storm had been unsure entirely about it himself.

"I don't know what to say…" Ryohei told him honestly and Reborn twitched in annoyance.

 _This would help him progress far more and help so much better-_ _  
_  
"Go already." The other Sun hissed, pointedly aiming a gun at him.

Ryohei beamed and skipped out of the door, recognizing a real threat when he saw one and knew he had overstayed his welcome in Reborn's new territory. That territory being anything and everything to do with medicine. "An extreme thank you, scary man! I'll go pass on that message!"

Finally, alone, Reborn kicked off his shoes and sighed, wearily subjecting himself to watching Tsuna for however long it would take the little Sky to wake up. Whether that was days or even weeks, Reborn wasn't sure.

"Idiota Cielo," he glared when the smaller male flinched in his sleep. "You're not expendable. You shouldn't have jumped in the way like that. Lightning's are tougher than you think."

He didn't receive an answer, but really, he wasn't expecting one either. 

* * *

**_Okay, I finally had time to post this- now I have a very important question! I'm looking for a beta-reader. For ALL of the work I'm going to post on here, so I will be needing a couple! Does anyone wish to help..? Anyways~ I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! How do you all like the story so far?_**

 ** _-LittleSkyCompass_**


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